Figure 2.

Wistar rat lung tissue respiration, ATP content and caspase activity in unoxygenated
KH buffer. Lung fragments were incubated at 37°C in 50 mL KH buffer for up to ~8 h. At indicated
time periods, samples were removed from the incubation medium and processed for measurements
of O2 consumption, ATP content and caspase activity. Panel A: Runs of cellular mitochondrial O2 consumption are shown; t = 0 corresponds to animal sacrifice. The values of kc (μM O2 min-1 mg-1) are shown at the bottom of each run. Panel B: The values of kc and ATP are plotted as a function of incubation time. Panel C: HPLC runs of caspase activity at 0, 2, 4 and 6 h of incubation. The Rt for Ac-DEVD-AMC was ~2.5 min and AMC ~4.8 min (insert). The substrate run (dashed
line) was sample incubated at 37°C without lung specimen for 6 h. Panel D: AMC peak areas are shown as a function of incubation period.